Who is Ana Stojanoska? Meet North Macedonia’s representative at Junior Eurovision 2026

Malta is preparing to become the epicentre of European children’s music. The Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre (MFCC) in Ta’ Qali (Malta) will host the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 on Saturday 24 October. The Mediterranean island is ready to welcome the 16 delegations competing for victory. Malta is once again taking charge of organising the European contest, for the third time in its history.

The Eurovision stage will be filled with talent, excitement and music as Junior Eurovision 2026 takes place. The 16 young participants will have the opportunity to perform their entries and fulfil one of their greatest dreams: representing their countries before viewers around the world. As it approaches its first quarter-century, the Junior Eurovision Song Contest will once again take place under the slogan “United By Music”, reaffirming the spirit of unity that defines the competition. This time, there is an added attraction: an invitation for us to join in the great Maltese “festa”, where music, tolerance and diversity are essential parts of the show.

With the big event drawing ever closer, the time has come to focus on its stars and discover the details of each of the 16 entries competing for the coveted crystal microphone. For many of them, what began as a dream in front of the television is about to become a reality on the Junior Eurovision stage.

This time, we explore the biography and professional career of Ana Stojanoska, North Macedonia’s representative at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The young artist secured her ticket to Ta’ Qali after being internally selected by North Macedonian broadcaster MRT. Her selection opened the doors to the contest, where she will fly her country’s flag with “Idnata Jas”.

How did her journey towards Junior Eurovision begin? What made her fall in love with music? What are her biggest dreams? And what does the song she will perform on the Ta’ Qali stage mean? Through her story, we get to know young Ana Stojanoska, who is taking part in this 24th edition, a little better.

Meet Ana Stojanoska: extensive experience in music competitions

Ana Stojanoska is a 13-year-old North Macedonian singer from Struga, a city in southwestern North Macedonia on the shores of Lake Ohrid. In 2026, she has taken the most important step of her still-short career: she was selected by public broadcaster Makedonska Radio Televizija (MRT) to represent North Macedonia at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

Young Ana Stojanoska was born and lives in Struga, a town particularly associated with North Macedonian culture and poetry. Her musical talent was discovered when she was very young. For her, singing has become a fundamental part of life. She enjoys performing because it allows her to express herself, connect with audiences and share her energy through music.

Her musical training began in her hometown. Ana Stojanoska studied at Struga’s music school, where she received vocal training from childhood. Representing this institution, she also took part in the 64th State Competition for students of music schools in North Macedonia in 2026. Specifically, she competed in the first-year singing category, with Edlira Arifi as her teacher. At that competition, she performed two pieces by Vaccai, an experience that reflects vocal training extending beyond popular music.

This participation is significant because it shows that Ana Stojanoska has several years of formal musical training and previous competitive experience.

Her first adventures on stage

Before reaching the Junior Eurovision Song Contest stage, Ana Stojanoska began gaining experience through performances and projects aimed at young performers.

One of these was ‘Muzicka Fabrika (Музичка Фабрика)’, a project dedicated to discovering and promoting new musical talent in North Macedonia. Ana Stojanoska took part in its 2026 edition and presented “Ne sakam da ziveam na Mars”, her first original single before her Eurovision entry. The song, whose title translates as “I Don’t Want to Live on Mars”, featured music and arrangements by Ile Spasev, with lyrics by Robin Zimbakov.

Taking part in this project allowed her to become known within North Macedonia’s youth music scene and continue developing her experience in front of cameras and audiences.

Ana Stojanoska: a name gaining prominence in North Macedonia

During the summer of 2026, Ana Stojanoska also experienced a particularly notable moment in her career when she was invited on stage during a Slatkaristika concert in Ohrid.

The rapper recognised the young singer in the audience and invited her on stage as a gesture of support before her trip to Malta. Ana Stojanoska sang “Sara”, one of Slatkaristika’s hits, along with the audience, and explained that she was a huge admirer of the artist. The performance took place during the concert at Biljanini Izvori Stadium in Ohrid, held to mark Ilinden, a national holiday on 2 August commemorating the 1903 Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising against the Ottoman Empire.

This episode had special significance because it was one of Ana Stojanoska’s first opportunities to sing on a large stage in North Macedonia before facing her international performance at Junior Eurovision.

Her connection with Struga

Ana Stojanoska’s connection with Struga plays an important role in her personal and artistic story. The city is one of North Macedonia’s best-known tourist destinations and also has a distinguished cultural and literary tradition, which has influenced her artistic identity.

In June 2026, Struga’s mayor, Mendi Kjura, also welcomed the young singer and publicly expressed the town’s pride in having a representative at Junior Eurovision. At that meeting, the municipal authorities highlighted her career and noted that the municipality intends to support young talents who represent Struga both within the country and abroad.

Her artistic activities are particularly connected with her city, where she has taken part in various events and musical performances of songs such as “Mojata Makedonija” and “Tajno Moja”. She also performed with violin accompaniment alongside music teacher Kliment Jankoski during a celebration at Josip Broz Tito School in Struga.

Although Ana Stojanoska is only 13 years old, the Junior Eurovision Song Contest will be a new chapter in her artistic development, rather than the end of a journey. Her ambitions include continuing to grow as a singer, gaining new experiences and performing on increasingly larger stages.

Like other young people her age, when she is not making music, Ana Stojanoska enjoys spending time with her friends and family. The singer considers music an essential part of her life and expresses her wish to keep doing what she loves most: singing.

Discover “Idnata Jas”, Ana Stojanoska’s entry representing North Macedonia at Junior Eurovision 2026

Ana Stojanoska will represent North Macedonia at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with “Idnata Jas” (Идната јас), which means “My Future Self”. Ana Stojanoska’s talent and voice come together with the experience and creativity of a highly regarded team. Nikola Micevski is responsible for the music and arrangements, while the lyrics were written by Ilcho Nechovski. Music production is handled by Dejan Miromorski and Nikola Micevski, who also took care of mixing and mastering.

Nikola Micevski is one of the most prominent artists on the North Macedonian music scene. He is a composer, arranger and producer who stands out for his creative strength and successful track record. His music has a recognisable emotional depth, a strong melodic identity and a refined production style, giving his work a significant imprint on North Macedonian music. Drawing on his experience, musical sensitivity and ability to create hits, he favours songs that connect emotion with contemporary sound.

Ilcho Nechovski is known to the wider public as a member of the North Macedonian band Duper. As a writer and performer, he is distinguished by his contemporary lyrical expression, authenticity and ability to convey personal emotions in language that is direct, youthful and relatable to audiences. He favours fresh, warm and sincere lyrics with a contemporary sensibility.

“Idnata Jas” is sung entirely in Macedonian. It is an emotional and inspiring pop song about dreams, personal growth and identity. Its lyrics imagine a conversation between Ana as a child and the woman she will become.

Through a childhood diary, the protagonist wonders whether her future self will have found happiness, what path she will have followed and whether she will preserve her secrets and dreams. The image of dreams turning into wings reinforces the idea of freedom and pursuing what you desire. The entry specifically highlights self-confidence and the importance of staying true to yourself as you grow up. All of this is supported by production intended to fill young audiences across Europe with emotion and energy.

On the Junior Eurovision stage in Malta, Ana Stojanoska will perform with dancers Kalina, Kaja and Elena, with choreography by Ilija Karadakoski and a delegation led by Dijana Gogova.

Alongside Ana Stojanoska’s voice, Marta Kuch and Teodora Micevska provide backing vocals. The orchestration prominently features string instruments played by virtuosos Vladimir Krstev, Maja Shekerova and Emil Chichonovski. The North Macedonian entry also gives prominence to traditional instruments such as the tambura, played by Zlatko Miladinoski, and the kaval, played by Daniel Manevski, which are typical of the Balkans and Eastern Europe.

The audiovisual production of her music video was led by Goran Cvetkovikj, MRT’s production director, while Sasho Dokovski served as director of photography. Dijana Gogova is credited as editorial and production supervisor, and Slagjan Jovanovikj as the person responsible for production. Aerial footage was handled by drone operator Filip Isakov, with Vasil Janev and Zoran Stojkovikj in charge of lighting. The music video was edited by Aristid Filaktov, with Nemanja Mihailovikj as assistant editor.

Elena Luka was responsible for styling and costume design, while Vladimir Trajkovski handled hair and make-up.

Lyrics to “Idnata Jas” by Ana Stojanoska, North Macedonia’s entry at Junior Eurovision 2026

Enjoy all the Junior Eurovision 2026 songs in the ESCplus playlist on Spotify:

North Macedonia at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest

North Macedonia was one of the countries that participated in Junior Eurovision 2003, making it one of the founding countries of the children’s contest.

Since the first edition, North Macedonia has participated fairly regularly, although it has missed several years due to restructuring at the North Macedonian broadcaster, disagreements with the Junior Eurovision format and, in 2020, the coronavirus pandemic.

It is also particularly notable that the North Macedonian broadcaster remains absent from the Eurovision Song Contest but continues to participate in the children’s contest.

North Macedonia’s record is somewhat modest, including three last-place finishes in 2006, 2013 and 2015. Its best placing is fifth, achieved in Rotterdam in 2007 with Rosica Kulakova & Dimitar Stojmenovski and “Ding Ding Dong”, and in Limassol in 2008 with Bobi Andonov and “Prati mi SMS”.

However, its highest-ever score — under a different voting system from that used in the contest’s early years — was achieved by Mila Moskov with “Fire” in Gliwice-Silesia in 2019. She received 150 points, earning a commendable sixth place.

The country’s participation in Junior Eurovision has had two phases. Initially, it opted for open national selections for young artists, all held under its own Dečja Pesna Eurovizije format. However, because of the high cost of organising these competitions, MKRTV began selecting its representatives internally, through a committee of professionals within the broadcaster.

In Nice in 2023, Tamara Grujeska received 76 points with “Kaži Mi, Kaži Mi Koj”, finishing in 12th place. This was the ninth time North Macedonia had achieved that placing throughout its Junior Eurovision history. Meanwhile, at the 2024 edition in Madrid, Ana & Aleksej, with “Marathon”, could finish no higher than 16th place with just 54 points.

At the recent edition in Tbilisi in 2025, Nela Mancheska finished in seventh place with 141 points with “Miracle”. This was the Balkan country’s best result since Gliwice-Silesia in 2019. She placed fifth in the national jury voting, while her entry was the 10th most voted for by viewers through the online platform.